Gustavo Melendez
Position: SS
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 170 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: 10/20/2007
High School: Colegio La Merced HS (Puerto Rico)
How Acquired: Drafted 4th Round, 113th Overall, 2025
Bonus:
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2029
Minor League Free Agency: 2031
Options Left: 3
Overview
Melendez is a glove-oriented shortstop who has a good chance to stay at the position. He was also the top draft talent coming out of Puerto Rico. The draft sites differ some on him. Baseball America ranks him 123rd in the draft and MLB Pipeline 140th. FanGraphs on the other hand has him 55th and is more optimistic about his bat. FG and Pipeline seem to agree that he’s stronger than he looks, although nobody is high on his power potential. He has a short, quick swing and could be a good, contact-oriented hitter who also has good patience. He has the actions for short and probably enough arm. His speed is about average. Melendez is young, only 17 at draft time, and has a commitment to Wake Forest. The slot amount is $674.3K.
Stats
Fangraphs
Baseball-Reference
Transactions
July 14, 2025: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in round 4, 113th overall pick.